Sticherus palmatus (W.Schaffn. ex E.Fourn.) Copel.

  • Authority

    Mickel, John T. & Smith, Alan R. 2004. The pteridophytes of Mexico. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 88: 1-1054.

  • Family

    Gleicheniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Sticherus palmatus (W.Schaffn. ex E.Fourn.) Copel.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Rhizomes long-creeping, with castaneous ciliate scales 1.5–2.5 x 0.2–0.3 mm; stipes to 8 mm diam.; main axes beyond first fork dormant or eventually continuing, scaly to glabrescent; dormant buds with brownish or orange-brown, long-ciliate scales 1.5–3 x 0.2–0.5 mm; pinnae mostly 3–5 times pseudodichotomously forking; axes below ultimate forks usually pectinate on both sides or without segments altogether; penultimate segments 3–5 cm wide, the costae with scattered orangish tan, spreading, ciliate scales 0.8–1.5 x 0.1–0.3 mm; ultimate segments chartaceous, linear-lanceolate, to ca. 2.5 cm x 1.5–3 mm at mid-segment, plane to revolute, abaxially appearing "granulose" (due to whitish or pale stomata), lacking arachnoid hairs but with simple or branched white or yellowish hairs (reduced scales) 0.5–0.8 mm long, each with a reddish brown cell at base; sori medial to supramedial, with 3–5 sporangia per sorus; 2n=68 (Jam).

  • Discussion

    Mertensia palmata W. Schaffn. ex Fe´e, Me´m. Foug. 9: 40. 1857, nom. nud. Gleichenia palmata T. Moore, Index Fil. 380. 1862, nom. nud. Mertensia palmata palmata W. Schaffn. ex E. Fourn., Mexic. Pl. 1: 137. 1872. Gleichenia palmata (W. Schaffn. ex E. Fourn.) C. Chr., Index Filic. 323. 1905. Lectotype (chosen by Proctor, Brit. Fern Gaz. 9: 218. 1965). Mexico. Veracruz: Jalapa, Schaffner 229 (P, not found; isotype K!).

    Dicranopteris palmata J. H. Schaffn. ex Underw., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 34: 259. 1907. Type. Mexico. Veracruz: Orizaba, Pringle 6129 (NY!; isotypes B!, BM!, BR!, GH!, IJ, K!, MEXU!, NY!, UC!, US!).

    Unverified, Doubtful, or Mistaken Reports. DF (reported by Mickel & Beitel, 1988, but not verified). Mor (reported by Mickel & Beitel, 1988, but not verified; not listed by Riba et al., 1996). Tab (reported by Magan˜a, 1992, but not verified). This species differs from S. bifidus in lacking a tomentose indument abaxially on the blade tissue. It more closely resembles S. underwoodianus, but that species has narrower penultimate divisions with broader and more abundant scales on the costae. One of the specimens cited by Smith (1981) as S. palmatus (Breedlove 23221, DS), is now judged to be S. underwoodianus. Gonzales (2003) has adopted the name Sticherus furcatus (L.) Ching, Sunyatsenia 5: 283, 1940, for this species. This is based on a Plumier plate, Descr. Pl. Ame´r. t. 20 (1693). The basionym of this species is Acrostichum furcatum L., Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 2: 1321 (1759), synonyms Mertensia furcata (L.) Willd., Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl. 166 (1804) and Gleichenia furcata (L.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 4: 26 (1827). Proctor (1977) treated this species as endemic to the Lesser Antilles.

  • Distribution

    Frequent in wet forests, in open forests and forest margins, especially on Atlantic slope, pine-oak forests; 450- 2450 m. Mexico; Guat, Bel, Hond, Salv, Nic, CR; Cuba, Jam.

    Mexico North America| Jamaica South America| Cuba South America| Costa Rica South America| Nicaragua Central America| El Salvador Central America| Honduras Central America| Belize Central America| Guatemala Central America|